Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed former English batter Ian Bell as its batting coach ahead of its three-match Test series against England, the board announced on Tuesday.
Bell will start working with the team on August 16 and will stay with the travelling squad until the conclusion of the series.
CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket, Ashley De Silva said, “We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there. Ian has a lot of experience playing in England, and we believe his input will help our team in this crucial tour.”
Bell has played in 118 Test matches and scored 7,727 runs at an average of 42.69, scoring 22 centuries during that time.
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Sri Lanka is coming off a 2-0 ODI series win against India, its first series victory against the men in blue after 27 years.
The team has raised security concerns with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) amid the ongoing anti-immigrant riots in Britain, with players requesting increased security ahead of its upcoming Test series.
Sri Lanka team manager Mahinda Halangoda said he raised the security issues with the ECB after reading reports of unrest in Manchester, where the first Test is scheduled.
The first Test will begin on August 21 at Old Trafford.
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